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aw21594377 's review for:
Wild and Wrangled
by Lyla Sage
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
General thoughts: I just felt like there was nothing that particularly stood out about the couples' stories or the characters themselves. This series felt a little like Elsie Silver knockoffs. I'm sorry, I said it.
There were a few elements that I liked about this, but as a whole, I was pretty disappointed by this book and how they came together. I could see how they were <i>supposed</i> to come together, but they just didn't for me.
What I liked:
-Cam
-Dusty
-Emmy, Ada, Teddy as side characters
-Gus as a side character
-Amos, of course
-the flashbacks to Dusty and Cam in hs
-Cam's decision not to have more kids (everyone else in the series wanted (more) kids)
What I disliked:
-Wes's general absence
-Cam's lashing out at Dusty when she's panicking
-Cam and Dusty in the present and their sex scenes 🤢
-Lack of Dusty's chapters -- Cam's chapters dominated this book
-Riley didn't really feel like part of this book as much as she was in Gus and Teddy's. I get it, Teddy is supposed to be Riley's babysitter (that's the whole main trope of their book), but I was just hoping to see more of a relationship between Cam and her daughter.
Going off that, especially because we see Riley so much with the Ryders, and we see how they worship her. Being a single mom is so hard! I could never do it. That said, while this is supposed to be about Cam and Dusty, I just didn't get the same satisfaction of watching Cam and Riley as I did with Gus and Riley. Gus clearly loves Riley so much; and while I <i>know</i> Cam loves her daughter, I just didn't <i>feel</i> it. I think Dusty kind of hit the nail on the head when he points out that the way Cam is trying to care for Riley is through a trust fund that's not even guaranteed from her parents. I know it's the only way Cam was shown any sort of care from her own parents, but it just felt so vapid and superficial. I was also really confused how Cam thought Riley wouldn't be set without a trust because the ranch, while a hard lifestyle, seemed financially stable, and we know Gus and the Ryders would do ANYTHING to protect and care for Riley. When Cam finally admits that she's worried and insecure that she hasn't given Riley enough in comparison to Gus, that made a little more sense, but even still. If they have their basic needs met, kids want attention, love, validation etc from their parents. Seeing as Riley lives a comfortable life with all those needs met, that's what she'll want most from Cam.
What I've realized is that I like all these characters in the series in theory, but less on paper. I think Sage has really good potential, but her execution was generally disappointing for me. Other than <i>Swift and Saddled</i> and now, in retrospect, Emmy and Brooks's books, I was generally kind of underwhelmed. I generally enjoyed the characters more in other people's books more than their own. Again, the exception was Ada and Wes, and I still liked them in other people's books. The characters were all good, kind, generous, and wonderful, but yeah. Idk, that's kind of a low bar for a fluffy romance novel.
I like who Cam represents, but I was really disappointed by what Sage does with her character. I get her issues, and I understand why she feels the way she does. Even still, I just didn't end up feeling any special connection with her, and my disdain only compounded when she said some spiteful things to Dusty in the narrative present. In the past, sure, they're 18, I get that. But 15 years later? Idk. I was disappointed in her.
Dusty needed more chapters. And, frankly, I don't even remember him much from other books, so I went in relatively neutrally. I didn't end up being turned off from him in the same way as I was Cam, but he made the sex scenes so cringy 🥴
So, maybe I'm being kinda harsh on Cam. I think I had really high hopes for her book, and this book just didn't meet my expectations. I also just wasn't as attached to Dusty as a character, and even at the end, I still didn't feel any sort of emotional connection. Wes is my favorite mmc, but I still have a soft spot for Brooks and Gus.
Anyways! yeah, idk. Would I recommend this series? Not particularly. They're fast, fluffy reads, but generally lack much meaningful substance. At the end, only really liking 1/4 books (and feeling pretty neutrally about another one) is not a great track record. Why did I finish this series? Because I like giving authors the benefit of the doubt. I'm unsure if I'd read more by this author though.
What I liked:
-Cam
-Dusty
-Emmy, Ada, Teddy as side characters
-Gus as a side character
-Amos, of course
-the flashbacks to Dusty and Cam in hs
-Cam's decision not to have more kids (everyone else in the series wanted (more) kids)
What I disliked:
-Wes's general absence
-Cam's lashing out at Dusty when she's panicking
-Cam and Dusty in the present and their sex scenes 🤢
-Lack of Dusty's chapters -- Cam's chapters dominated this book
-Riley didn't really feel like part of this book as much as she was in Gus and Teddy's. I get it, Teddy is supposed to be Riley's babysitter (that's the whole main trope of their book), but I was just hoping to see more of a relationship between Cam and her daughter.
Going off that, especially because we see Riley so much with the Ryders, and we see how they worship her. Being a single mom is so hard! I could never do it. That said, while this is supposed to be about Cam and Dusty, I just didn't get the same satisfaction of watching Cam and Riley as I did with Gus and Riley. Gus clearly loves Riley so much; and while I <i>know</i> Cam loves her daughter, I just didn't <i>feel</i> it. I think Dusty kind of hit the nail on the head when he points out that the way Cam is trying to care for Riley is through a trust fund that's not even guaranteed from her parents. I know it's the only way Cam was shown any sort of care from her own parents, but it just felt so vapid and superficial. I was also really confused how Cam thought Riley wouldn't be set without a trust because the ranch, while a hard lifestyle, seemed financially stable, and we know Gus and the Ryders would do ANYTHING to protect and care for Riley. When Cam finally admits that she's worried and insecure that she hasn't given Riley enough in comparison to Gus, that made a little more sense, but even still. If they have their basic needs met, kids want attention, love, validation etc from their parents. Seeing as Riley lives a comfortable life with all those needs met, that's what she'll want most from Cam.
What I've realized is that I like all these characters in the series in theory, but less on paper. I think Sage has really good potential, but her execution was generally disappointing for me. Other than <i>Swift and Saddled</i> and now, in retrospect, Emmy and Brooks's books, I was generally kind of underwhelmed. I generally enjoyed the characters more in other people's books more than their own. Again, the exception was Ada and Wes, and I still liked them in other people's books. The characters were all good, kind, generous, and wonderful, but yeah. Idk, that's kind of a low bar for a fluffy romance novel.
I like who Cam represents, but I was really disappointed by what Sage does with her character. I get her issues, and I understand why she feels the way she does. Even still, I just didn't end up feeling any special connection with her, and my disdain only compounded when she said some spiteful things to Dusty in the narrative present. In the past, sure, they're 18, I get that. But 15 years later? Idk. I was disappointed in her.
Dusty needed more chapters. And, frankly, I don't even remember him much from other books, so I went in relatively neutrally. I didn't end up being turned off from him in the same way as I was Cam, but he made the sex scenes so cringy 🥴
So, maybe I'm being kinda harsh on Cam. I think I had really high hopes for her book, and this book just didn't meet my expectations. I also just wasn't as attached to Dusty as a character, and even at the end, I still didn't feel any sort of emotional connection. Wes is my favorite mmc, but I still have a soft spot for Brooks and Gus.
Anyways! yeah, idk. Would I recommend this series? Not particularly. They're fast, fluffy reads, but generally lack much meaningful substance. At the end, only really liking 1/4 books (and feeling pretty neutrally about another one) is not a great track record. Why did I finish this series? Because I like giving authors the benefit of the doubt. I'm unsure if I'd read more by this author though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse